You checked the calendar, looked at today’s date and felt like you were forgetting something important…and you did! Was it a bill payment? A press conference with Jay Z? Your sister’s wedding? No. It’s Insomniac’s Weekly Top Ten list. Let the tracks below serve as a reminder…
1) SAUCE MONEY teamed up with MEMPHIS BLEEK & WAIS P for what was surely the “Main Event” of the week. The Bo & Spragg produced gem sounds like a throwback to the 70’s blaxploitation film era with its Cotton Comes To Harlem-esque grooves. Soul permeates through the very essence of this track…and with lines like “convicted of killin’ mics(Mikes)like Conrad Murray”(courtesy of Wais P), you can best believe this trio’s deadly!
2) So as the story goes, Queens mega-lyricist, ACTION BRONSON, linked up with Pittsburgh emcee on the rise, GOLDSMITH, after a performance at the Altar Bar, promptly headed to Goldsmith’s parent’s basement to record some lyrics, exchanged pleasantries with the folks and swiftly disappeared…never to be heard from again. No matter! Even if Goldsmith never has another encounter with Mr. Wonderful, the bars he left behind in his wake more than make up for his abrupt departure. It wouldn’t mean a thing however, if the Pittsburgh phenomenon couldn’t go toe-to-toe with Bam Bam on the mic. Luckily, Goldsmith possesses an abundance of rhyme skills that allow him to hold his own. And while we’re at it, let’s not forget the outstanding production of Drum Gang that encapsulates “Onesy & Slippers” into a funk-fueled sonic package worth listening to again & again!
https://soundcloud.com/reallygoldsmith/onesy-slippers-ft-action-bronson-prod-drum-gang
3) SKYZOO dropped the first OFFICIAL single from his forthcoming “Music For My Friends” album & enlisted underground juggernaut WESTSIDE GUNN for the hook. The result? Pure unadulterated Hip Hop pleasure! “Luxury” contains a catchy, compelling track that takes us back to the golden era of the early 90’s. The lyricist delivers rhymes with a smooth, focused flow that serve as the perfect contrast to Gunn’s “go for broke” style on the chorus. Yep, this is what Hip Hop is all about!
4) MICK JENKINS can do no wrong. This isn’t a sentiment solely expressed by our staff…It’s a belief held by the world! The highly in-demand lyricist brings intense passion and off the charts rhyme skills to the Kaytranada produced “P’s & Q’s.” The track steamrolls past lesser cuts with soulful grooves aplenty as the emcee spits brain-bending bars of fury. To paraphrase the artist, ‘he’s quantum leaps ahead of his peers.’ No argument here Mick. We’re in perfect agreement.
5) CAMP LO’s “Sunglasses” track hit our desks immediately after the publication of last week’s list. It was too late to be included & too good to be dismissed for this week’s top picks…so here’s the Bronx duo’s bass-blastin’ banger in all its glory! Ski Beatz crafts another masterpiece for the masses. It’s definitely “Luchini” level funk!..and Sonny & Geechi ensure that fans will be hiking to Camp Lo for many years to come.
6) HODGY BEATS rode the ongoing gossip about Odd Future’s demise into a trio of surprise releases. “Thankksgiving,” the strongest track of the three, was produced by LB, and sounds like a group of monks being held captive in an underground cavern filled with hardcore beats! The joint kicks a@s! It’s without a doubt Hodgy’s best solo performance to date and now that we think about it…if LB stands for Left Brain, that means Odd Future(or at least Mellowhype)can’t really be over. Maybe we’re delusional or as Earl implies, we probably need to let it go…
https://soundcloud.com/hodgybeats-3/thankksgiving-prod-lb
7) Boston duo, KINGS DEAD, came correct on the extremely funky “Extroversion” and managed to get our entire staff amped up for the release of their “Utopia II” album on June 8th. The Alex Mendoza produced cut possesses a smooth, “summertime” vibe that enables MC Sonny Shotz to implement a melodic flow that is as instrumental to the tune as the jazzy horns that filter in and out of the track. Pay close attention to Kings Dead. If this song is an indication of things to come, June 8th will be a day Hip Hop fans won’t soon forget!
8) GIT BEATS employed his production mastery on another power-packed track with lyrical scientist, BOB BANNER. SEAN PRICE is recruited for another round of rhyme adventures with RAE LORENZO incorporated as the final deadly element to “Last Time U Closed Your Eyez.” If you want non-stop hardcore rhythms from the best in the biz, these are the artists you keep on repeat.
9) 1 Mt took a trip from Staten Island to the West Coast & recruited living legends, MC EIHT & SPICE 1 for the searing “Kill Or B Killed.” Rapid fire rhyme patterns, killer Cali verses, and dense, monstrous beats await all listeners who dare to press play. This is a collabo that sounds so natural, it’s amazing it didn’t happen earlier!
10) MAINE THE SAINT joined forces with JASON SELLARS & Free Nation brethren, MICK JENKINS, for a track that sounded heavenly. In fact, it sounds like a “Dream.” Maine & Mick are two emcees who possess an “eye on the prize” mentality. Their lyrics cut through the B.S., exposing the truth for all to see. Artists like these are a rarity. Nothing and NO ONE will stand in the way of their dreams.
Well that’s it for this week. Catch ya next time and…DON”T SLEEP!
– Kevin Keith
